Traffic-simulating toy



April 8, 1930. 4 SLBERGEQ 2 2 TRAFFIC SIMULATING TOY Filed July 14, 19282 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jamaal [Zezjer BY TORNEYI April 8, 1930. s..|.BERGER 1,753,232

' TRAFFIC SIMULATING TOY Filed July 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Vimlllllmm INVENTOR B @Z. i? [if TTQ Patented Apr. 8, 1930 STTES UITESAMUEL I. BERGER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY TRAFFIC-SIM'U'LATING TOYApplication filed July 14,

My present invention is concerned with power driven or handoperated-mechanical toys which may assume many forms but finds itspreferred embodiment in a trafiic simulating toy of the generalcharacter disclosed in the patent to Louis Marx, No. 1,674,298, grantedJune19, 1928.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved toy, particularlyin respect to ruggedness, durability, simplicity of construction andeconomy of manufacture.

Another object is to provide a sheet metal toy embodying numerous smallmoving parts as well as stationary parts which are so designed that thedanger of a child cutting or scratching its hands or otherwise injuringitself while operating the toy, or carrying it about, is reduced to aminimum.

Another object is to provide a toy of this character in which not onlythe movement but the rattle and clatter of trafiic is effectivelysimulated.

Another object is to providea toy in which the driving means, whilehighly effective under the rough usage and careless handling to whichthe toy may be subjected is sufficiently non-positive to preventpermanent injury thereto in case the moving parts jam and a childattempts to inexpertly force the parts into motion. 7

With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts which will be more fully hereinafter described andpointed out in the claims.

The invention may be more fully understood from the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken bottom plan view thereof. I p

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional detail on the line H of Fig. '3. I

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 2. 1

1928. Serial No. 292,662.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 66 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a similarly enlarged detail View on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

The toy includes a platform portion provided with an endless,approximately oval or loop-shaped slot 10 which divides the platforminto an inner section 11 and surrounding outer section 12.

Vehicle simulating toys 13, travelling on the platform are connectedthrough the slot 10-to an endless driving cable 14 beneath the platform.lhetoys 13, moving in opposite directions along the parallel elongatedruns of the endless slot, simulate oppositely moving tralfici streamsand the passage of the vehicle toys aroundthe arcuate end runs of theslot is substantially concealed by housings l5 and 16 secured toopposite ends, of the platform.

The cable 14 travelsaround a pair of pulleys 17, 18 mounted underopposite ends of the platform, one of said pulleys being driven by aconventional spring motor (not shown) concealed in an upward extension15 of housing 15 and provided with the usual winding key 19 andstop-and-start lever 20.

Fixed upon the inner (and if desired the outer) platform sections are aplurality of toy figures such as 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. The figures mayrepresent various characteristic and familiar street figures andfixtures such, for instance, as pedestrian traffic and'stationary streetornaments. In the present case they simulate respectively a push cartvender, a street clock, a trafiic ofiicer, a pedestrian and anequestrian statue. Certain of the figures, such for instance, as thedominating figure of the traflic officer, may be deliberately made outof proportion to the others, thereby enhancing the grotesque and amusingappearance of the toy. I

Means is provided for connecting the inner and outer platform sectionstogether, such means preferably so joining the sections that they aresustained against relative movement in any direction. .One convenientmeans for effecting this connection includes thetraffic tower orstreet-lighting "fixture-simulating means illustrated. The lightingfixtures include posts or standards 26, 27 and 28, the central standardbeing fixed to the central platform section 11, the end standards 26 and28 being fixed to the outer platform section 12. All three standards areintegrally connected at their tops by bridging pieces 29, which bridgingpieces cooperate with the standards to define arch structures spanningthe parallel runs of the loop slot and under which the two lines oftraiiic run.

The housings 15 and 16 also serve to connect the inner and outerplatform sections. These housings straddle the platform and the loweredges of the sides of the housings extend between a downwardly turnedflange 30 at each side of the platform and upwardly rolled bead 31integral with the flange. As best seen in Fig. 6, the lower edges of thehousings are provided with bendable tongues 32 turned inwardly throughslots 33 in the flange 30, whereby the sharp lower edges of the housingmembers are concealed and protected by head 31. In this manner, thedanger of a child injuring its hands on the sharp corners of the housingmembers is consid erably lessened. The front or adjacent walls of thehousings define openings 34 aligned with the two longitudinal runs ofthe slot 10 and the moving toy vehicles pass into and out of thehousings through these openings. Between the openings 34, a downwardcolumnsimulating extension 35 of the front wall of the housing isconnected to the central platform section 11.

Supplementing the housings and the toy lighting fixtures to connect thetwo sections of the platform, are bracing members, consisting oftransversely disposed, upwardly facing channel bars 36 arranged underthe platform. The edges of these channel bars are formed with bendabletongues 37 passed upwardly through slots 38 in the platform and bentover upon the top of the platform. Such slot and tongue connectionsserve to unite each channel member with both sections of the platform.The channel members are notched or cut away at 39 to provide clearancefor the vehicle actuating cable 14. The connective channel pieces 36 arein themselves of general utility and embody structural features whichpermit the production of a strong bracing member from thin gauge sheetmetal stock. Strength and rigidity is lent to the members 36 by theprovision of an upwardly bowed longitudinal corrugation 40 struck fromthe intermediate portion of the channel and by the use of spacedindentations at 41 along the bending lines of the channels, which serveto provide strengthening webs, resistant both to transverse dlongitudinal bending strains,

The means which is used for attaching the toy vehicles to theiractuating cable is substantially similar to that illustrated in theprior patent above referred to. It consists of a thin bar 42 freelyvertically movable through the vehicle toys 13. Bar 42 is turned over asat 43 at its upper end, so that the toys cannot be lifted upwardly todisconnect them from the bar and at its lower end the bar is turned overand crimped as at 44 to the actuating cable 14.

Another feature of the invention the novel manner in which one of thepulleys, preferably the idler pulley 18, is used to maintain a tensionon the cable. As best seen in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive, pulley 18 ismounted on a vertical axle 45, which axle passes upwardly through alongitudinal slot 46 in the platform and has a bearing in a hollow sheetmetal carrier block 47 slidable longitudinally on the platform. Block 47at its forward edge is provided with a downwardly turned guiding tongue48 traveling in a slot 49 in the platform and at its rear edge is formedwith a rearwardlv extending tongue 50 passed through the column 35 andterminating in an upwardly turned finger 51. This finger is connected tothe lower end of a fiat spring 52, the upper end 53 of which is anchoredin a slot 54 near the top of the housing 16.

Spring 52 normally tends to urge the block 47 rearwardly toward thecolumn 35 and to hold the cable 14 taut. When, due to an inadvertentjamming of the traveling vehicle toys, or to any other casual cause, astrain is imparted to the cable, the yielding mounting of the pulley 18serves to compensate for the strain and prevent the cable from beingsnapped. This compensating and tensioning mechanism not only serves topromote uni-. form movement of the traveling toys, but also minimizesthe danger of snapping the cable or otherwise injuring the toy in theevent that a child attempts to force the movement of a jammedvehicle-simulating element.

As in the prior patent, the platform edges adjacent slot 10 may beraised at to simulate car tracks and it will be obvious that numerousother expedients might be resorted to for increasing the realisticappearance of the toy.

In operation, when the driving motor is wound and released, the cablecarries all of the vehicle-simulating toys in an orbital path. Inappearance, however, due to the fact that the vehicle movement at theends of the slot is concealed, the toy appears to reproduce a streetscene with continuously and oppositely moving traific streams. i

This realism is further accentuated by the noise produced by thewhirring motor, the scraping (or if desired, rolling) of the vehicletoys along the platform and the clicking of the bar extensions 44against the pulleys.

In order to avoid an unnecessary showing of conventional features,various connections, such, for instance, as the connections of thestationary figures and columns 35 to the platother conventional manner.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described a device in whichthe several fea tures of th1s invention are embodied, and

which device in its action attains the various objects of the inventionand is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A toy of the class described, including a platform having a slottherein, movable members on the platform, an endless cable beneath theplatform, a pair of pulleys around which the cable runs, meansconnecting the movable members to the cable through said slot, means fordriving one pulley, and yielding means mounting the other pulley.

2. A toy of the class described, including a platform having a slottherein, movable members on the platform, an endless cable beneath theplatform, a pair of pulleys around which the cable runs, meansconnecting the movable members to the cable through said slot, means fordriving one pulley, and yielding means mounting the other pulley, saidmeans comprising a pulley-supporting member slidably mounted on theplatform and a spring urging said member in a direction to hold thecable taut.

3. A toy of the class described, including a platform having a slottherein, movable members on the platform, an endless cable beneath theplatform, a pair of pulleys around which the cable runs, meansconnecting the movable members to the cable through said slot, means fordriving one pulley, and yielding means mounting the other pulley, saidmeans comprising a pulley-supporting member slidably mounted on theplatform and a spring urging said member in a direction to hold thecable taut, said pulley-supporting means comprising a hollow block and aslot and tongue connection between the platform and the block to guidethe sliding movement of the latter. i

4;. A toy of the class described, including a platform having a slottherein, movable members in the platform, an endless cable beneath theplatform, a pair of pulleys around which the cable runs, meansconnecting the movable members to the cable through said slot, means fordriving one pulley, yielding means mounting the other pulley, an uprighton the platform, and a spring anchored thereto, the yieldingpulley-mounting means including a pulley carrier slidably mounted on theplatform and connected to the spring.

5. A toy of the class described, including platform having a slottherein, movable members on the platform, an endless cable beneath theplatform, a pair of pulleys around which the cable runs, meansconnecting the movable members to the cable through said slot, means fordriving one pulley, yielding means mounting the other pulley, a housingon the platform through which the movable members travel, and a springconcealed within the housing, the yielding pulley mounting including aslidable pulley'carrier connected to the spring.

6. A toy of the class described, including a platform having a slottherein, movable members on the platform, an endless cable'beneath theplatform, apair of pulleys around which thecable runs, means connectingthe movable members to the cable through said slot, means for drivingone pulley,yielding means mount ing the other pulley, a housing on theplatform through which the movable members travel, a spring concealedwithin the housing, the yielding pulley mounting including a slidablepulley carrier connected to the spring, said carrier comprising a hollowblock I slidable on the platform and having a guiding connectiontherewith.

7 A toy of the class described, including a platform having a slottherein, movable members on the platform, an endless cable beneath theplatform, a pair of pulleys around which the cable runs, meansconnecting the movable members to the cable through said slot, means fordriving one pulley,yielding means mounting the other pulley, a housingon the platform through which the movable members travel, a springconcealed within the housing, the yielding pulley mounting including aslidable pulley carrier connected to the spring, said carrier comprisinga hollow block slidable on the platform and having a guiding connectiontherewith, the spring being flat, connected at its upper end to anupright section of the housing and at its lower end to an extension ofthe block.

8. A toy as set forth in claim 7 and wherein the block extensioncomprises a tailpiece slidable through one wall of the housing andprovided with an upturned finger to which the spring is attached.

9. In a toy of the class described, a platform member and a housingmounted thereon, the platform member including depending marginalflanges to space the platform above a supporting surface, said flangesat their lower edges being rolled upwardly to form beads, the sidesofthe housing member entering between said beads and flanges.

10. In a toy of the class described, a plat form member and a housingmounted thereon, said platform member including depending marginalflanges to space the platform above a supporting surface, said flangesat their lower edges being, rolled upwardly to form beads, the sides ofthe housing member entering between said beads and flanges, and havingconcealed slot and tongue connections with the flanges.

11. In a toy of the class described, a platform including a pair ofsections, lying in the same plane and separated from each other by anendless slot, light gauge sheet metal bracing bars under the platformconnecting the sections, said bars being of upwardly facing channelformation having slot and tongue connections with both panel sectionsand being indented at spaced points along their longitudinal bendinglines to provide strengthening Webs.

12. As a new element in a fabricated sheet metal toy, a connectivebracing bar of thin gauge sheet metal stock, said bar being ofchannelled formation, longitudinally corrugated along its intermediateportion and having spaced, web-forming indentations along its bendinglines.

Signed at Newark in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this12th day of July, A. D. 1928.

SAMUEL I. BERGER.

